Matthew Rankin’s Universal Language leads film nominations for the 2025 Canadian Screen Awards (CSAs) with 13, the third-highest for a film, tied with Xavier Dolan’s 2014 film Mommy. Best Motion Picture and Achievement in Direction are among the nominations for the French and Farsi-language film.

Rankin’s surrealist comedy has racked up several awards previously, including the best Canadian feature at this year’s Toronto Film Critics Association Awards in February.

Other nods for the film are in the supporting category, comedy for Saba Vahedyousefi, Mani Soleymanlou and Danielle Fichaud; leading comedy performances for Rajina Esmaeilli and Pirouz Nemati; as well as a screenplay nod for Rankin, Nemati and Ila Firouzabadi.

The other nominees for Best Motion Picture are Playback‘s 2024 Film of the Year Ali Abbasi’s The Apprentice (Scythia Films, Tailored Films, Profile Pictures), Henry Bernadet’s Gamma Rays (Coop Vidéo de Montréal), Naomi Jaye’s Darkest Miriam (Younger Daughter Films, Low End, Through the Lens Entertainment), Karen Chapman’s Village Keeper (Smallaxx Motion Pictures) and Meryam Joobeur’s Who Do I Belong To (Midi La Nuit, Tanit Films, Instinct Bleu).

Additional films to garner nominations include David Cronenberg’s The Shrouds (Prospero Pictures, SBS Productions, Saint Laurent Productions) with nine while Sam McGlynn’s Deaner ’89 (Eagle Vision, PSA Productions) and Village Keeper have both received seven.

The remaining directing nominees are Joobeur, Jaye, Bernadet, Atom Egoyan for Seven Veils (Rhombus Media, Ego Film Arts, XYZ Films) and Ara Ball for L’Ouragan F.Y.T. (Bunbury Films, Rebel Labs).

The dramatic leading role nominees are Sebastian Stan in The Apprentice, Oshim Ottawa for Atikamekw Suns (Les Films de l’autre), Britt Lower for Darkest Miriam (Low End), Carrie-Anne Moss for Die Alone (Minds Eye Entertainment), Chaima Zineddine Elidrissi for Gamma Rays, Sean Dalton for Skeet (Rink Rat Productions), Christine Beaulieu for The Thawing of Ice (Couzin Films) and Olunike Adeliyi for Village Keeper.

The rest of their comedy counterparts are Maïla Valentir (Ababooned, Les Films du Paria, Max Films), Paul Spence (Deaner ’89), Taylor Olson (Look at Me, Afro Viking Pictures), Emily Lê (Paying For It; Hawkeye Pictures, Wildling Pictures), Cate Blanchett (Rumours; Buffalo Gal Pictures, Maze Pictures) and Kahniehtiio Horn (Seeds, Carpe Dee Yum Productions).

Village Keeper received three nominations in the supporting drama performance category for Zahra Bentham, Micah Mensah-Jatoe and Maxine Simpson. The Apprentice‘s Jeremy Strong was also recognized, alongside The Thawing of Ice‘s Lothaire Bluteau, Atikamekw Suns‘ Lise Yolande Awashish, Darkest Miriam‘s Tom Mercier and Can I Get A Witness?‘s (AMF Productions) Sandra Oh.

The rest of the supporting performance nominees in the comedy category include two for Deaner ’89, Will Sasso and Mary Walsh. The rest are Sandrine Bisson for Ricardo Trogi‘s 1995 (Sphere Media), Roy Dupuis for Rumours and Graham Greene for Seeds.

The best feature documentary nominees are Maryusa Bociurkiw’s Analogue Revolution: How Feminist Media Changed the World (Winds of Change Production); Omar Majeed and Peter Mishara’s Disco’s Revenge (Elevation Pictures, 86 Media House); Laurence Lévesque’s Okurimono (Metafilms); Lisa Jackson’s Wilfred Buck (National Film Board of Canada, Door Number 3 Productions); and Michael Toledano, Jennifer Wickham and Brenda Michell’s Yintah (Yintah Film).

Lastly, the nominees for the John Dunning First Feature Film Award are Village Keeper, Seeds, Deaner ’89, Who Do I Belong To, Jerome Yoo’s Mongrels (Hodu Mob Films, Musubi Arts) and Annick Blanc’s Hunting Daze (Midi La Nuit).

The 13th annual CSAs will be handed out in five ceremonies from May 30 to June 1, culminating in a 90-minute broadcast at 8 pm EST hosted by Edmonton-born Lisa Gilroy on CBC Gem.

The full list of film nominees can be found here.

Image courtesy of Metafilms